Let it flow: DEP approves Shell Pipeline permits for Falcon project

Thursday

It took 15 months, but Shell Pipeline Co. has finally received the necessary permits it needs to build the Falcon ethane pipeline.

It took 15 months, but Shell Pipeline Co. finally received the necessary permits it needs to build the Falcon ethane pipeline.

The 97-mile pipeline will feature two legs:One running from Ohio and West Virginia into western Beaver County, and another from Washington and Allegheny counties into southern Beaver County.

With the state Department of Environmental Protection permits granted Thursday, construction on the line is expected to start next year. The pipeline will feed as much as 107,000 barrels of ethane per day to Shell’s $6 billion cracker plant in Potter Township.

Shell Pipeline originally submitted its permit applications to the DEP in September 2017. Despite that, DEP officials in October of that year said Shell’s applications were not “administratively complete” and asked the company to add more clarification and details.

Shell did so a month later, and DEP has spent the last year reviewing the pertinent information. Since then, a series of public hearings were held in Beaver, Allegheny and Washington counties to solicit input from the community about the proposed project.

Specifically, the DEP on Thursday issued a water obstruction and encroachment permit, and an erosion and sediment control permit. Both permits were mandatory before Shell could begin the project.

In explaining its decision Thursday, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said his agency consulted extensively with the county conservation districts in Beaver, Allegheny and Washington counties. The DEP also collected more than 1,500 public comments between the three public hearings.

“DEP’s due diligence included a robust review which facilitated the public’s participation by encouraging public feedback and access to important information throughout the process,” he said. “Comments and questions received from citizens were reviewed by DEP technical staff who requested additional information from the applicant and included conditions in the final permits to ensure the protection of resources.”

Of particular concern for area residents was that the pipeline would pass near the Ambridge Reservoir, which provides drinking water to 30,000 people. Michael Dominick, the general manager of the Ambridge Water Authority, along with the rest of his board of directors publicly opposed the planned route of the pipeline and held several meetings with Shell officials about their concerns.

In a news release announcing the permit approvals, the DEP admitted the Ambridge Reservoir was of “significant concern to multiple commenters” during the public hearing process.

Despite that, Shell’s application showed “appropriate construction techniques and special conditions requiring (Shell) to control pollution from construction of the ethane pipeline in the area of the reservoir and other water resources along the pipeline route.”

Dominick could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.

In addition, Shell agreed to build the pipeline deeper than was required so it would not intersect with a nearby raw water line, and the company also agreed to have a crew on standby in the event of a break in the raw water line.

Finally, the DEP said there were “many other public comments” considered during the public hearings, “a number of which resulted in modifications to the applications or permit conditions.”

In a written statement, Shell Pipeline spokeswoman Virginia Sanchez said the company is “pleased” the permitting process has come to an end, and Shell “looks forward to constructing and operating the Pennsylvania portion of the Falcon Ethane Pipeline System in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.”

“(Shell Pipeline) has taken significant steps to assess the potential impacts associated with the Falcon Pipeline System and it is confident that the measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate these impacts can help to ensure public safety and environmental protection in the communities where SPLC will operate,” she said. “(Shell) appreciates DEP’s thorough and extensive review of its permit applications and the agency’s consideration of the various stakeholder interests.”

While the DEP was in charge of issuing permits for the pipeline, the construction and operation of the Falcon pipeline will fall under the jurisdiction of the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

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